British director Danny Boyle’s “Shallow Grave” is one of the most chilling and claustrophobic movies of the 1990s.
The black comedy crime film was Boyle’s feature-length directorial debut. Per IMDb, it concerns three Edinburgh-based friends who discover their new flatmate dead, but loaded with cash. When they dismember and bury him, intending to keep the money for themselves, what follows is a fascinating chain of events teeming with heart-stopping violence.
It stars Christopher Eccleston, Kerry Fox, and Ewan McGregor, along with a talented supporting cast who all ensure viewers enjoy a gripping viewing experience.
The film was only a moderate financial success (per Box Office Mojo, it just about quadrupled its modest $2 million production budget at the global box office), but its impressive Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 72% more fairly reflects its quality.
It released on January 6, 1995, meaning it is 31 years old. With that in mind, wouldn’t it be fun to see the core cast today, compared to how they looked when the film hit theaters? Let’s do that now…
Christopher Eccleston (David Stevens)
Above is a social media post with three pictures of Christopher Eccleston in “Shallow Grave.”
English actor Christopher Eccleston played David Stevens in “Shallow Grave.” David is a shy and methodical chartered accountant and one of the three main flatmates in the film. He draws the short straw and lands the grim task of dismembering the body they find, triggering a descent into fear, paranoia, obsession, and isolation.
Age when “Shallow Grave” released: 30.
Selected movie credits before that: Let Him Have It (1991), Anchoress (1993).
GettyAge now: 62.
Selected movie credits after “Shallow Grave”: Jude (1996), 28 Days Later (2002), Thor: The Dark World (2013).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Kerry Fox (Juliet Miller)
Above is a social media post with three pictures of Kerry Fox in “Shallow Grave.”
New Zealand actress Kerry Fox played Juliet Miller in “Shallow Grave.” Juliet is a spirited and attractive doctor and another of the three main flatmates in the movie. She is practical, enigmatic, and enjoys a busy romantic life. While she acts as a mediator at times, Juliet becomes deeply entangled in the moral decay and betrayals that follow the flatmates’ fateful choice.
Age when “Shallow Grave” released: 28.
Selected movie credits before that: An Angel at My Table (1990), The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992), Friends (1993).
GettyAge now: 59.
Selected movie credits after “Shallow Grave”: The Sound of One Hand Clapping (1998), Intimacy (2001), The Colour Room (2021).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Ewan McGregor (Alex Law)
Above is a social media post with a picture of Ewan McGregor in “Shallow Grave.”
Scottish actor and filmmaker Ewan McGregor played Alex Law in “Shallow Grave.” Alex is a cheeky, vain, irreverent journalist, and the third and final main flatmate in the movie. He initiates most of the group’s funny moments and decision-making, but the events of the film expose his self-serving and increasingly unstable side.
Age when “Shallow Grave” released: 32.
Selected movie credits before that: Being Human (1994).
GettyAge now: 55.
Selected movie credits after “Shallow Grave”: Trainspotting (1996), Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Christopher Robin (2018).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Keith Allen (Hugo Lewis)
Above is a social media post with a picture of Keith Allen in “Shallow Grave.”
Welsh actor, comedian, musician, and television presenter Keith Allen played Hugo Lewis in “Shallow Grave.” Hugo is the main trio’s mysterious new flatmate who moves in after enduring a humiliating interview process at their hands. His sudden death from an overdose (while in possession of a briefcase full of cash) sets the movie’s plot in motion.
Age when “Shallow Grave” released: 41.
Selected movie credits before that: Loose Connections (1985), Chicago Joe and the Showgirl (1990), The Young Americans (1993).
Above is a 2025 social media post with a picture of Keith Allen in “Eastenders” from that same year.
Age now: 72.
Selected movie credits after “Shallow Grave”: Rancid Aluminium (2000), Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Ken Stott (Detective Inspector McCall)
Above is a social media post with a picture of Ken Stott (L) in “Shallow Grave.”
Scottish stage, television, and film actor Ken Stott played Detective Inspector McCall in “Shallow Grave.” McCall is the highly concise and probing police detective investigating the movie’s events. He senses something off about the flatmates and gradually deduces what happened, adding suspense to proceedings.
Age when “Shallow Grave” released: 39.
Selected movie credits before that: King Lear (1982), For Queen and Country (1988), Being Human (1994).
Above is a social media post with two pictures (top left and bottom right) of Ken Stott as a sitter on a 2020 episode of “Portrait Artist of the Year.”
Age now: 71.
Selected movie credits after “Shallow Grave”: King Arthur (2004), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012).
Filmography info per IMDb.
It’s fantastic to see that the core cast of this great movie are doing so well. We wish them all continued success with their ongoing careers.
